Trail to Happiness
by Wolfen XXVII
Summary: "It's okay," I whispered as I slowly knelt closer to him, "I won't hurt you." It was the truth. Despite my earlier irritation I really couldn't see myself hurting him in any way. A fanfic based off the movie with your favorite dogs and half-wolf, but here's the twist: HUMAN FORMS! sorta-ish You can love it or hate it, but please read it.
1. The Day We Met

_Mongrel, what are you doing here? Get away! _I felt the harsh blow to my face as the words stung my heart._ Filthy little beast. You're unwanted here! Get out of here you damn mutt! _Another blow, another do you hate me?_ Because of what you are. _What am I? Who am I?_ Nothing. _What?_ Nothing. _No I-_ Nothing! _No._ Nothing! _No!_ NOTHING!_

"NO!" I jolted awake as a blast of icy wind hit my scarcely covered body. Shakily sitting up, I scooted closer to the far wall of the abandoned boat in order to get away from the cold. It's really a wonder how I have yet to catch a fever...or worse. I suppose that's thanks to... _'What you are.'_ I shuddered as those words swam in my head. God but I hated that dream. It's been plaguing me since the day I was cast out. The day when the very mention of the poor boy named Balto was considered taboo. I sighed as I pulled on my thick, though slightly frayed, gray wool shirt over my faded black jeans. The bitter chill of the afternoon almost inclined me to wear my boots. Almost.

"I'm heading out, uncle!" I called to no one. It had become a habit of mine to tell my adoptive Uncle Boris when I was heading in to town. He would always chuckle and hand me my scarf saying, "Don't want your bones to turn to cycles and break." I chuckled ruefully as I donned said scarf, shedding a single tear at the memory of my now deceased uncle. _Get out of here you damned mutt!_ His words had hurt the most.

My mood steadily picked up as I got closer to town. Even though I had lived in the area for the better part of a year, everything was still so new to me. The sweet scent of freshly made bread made my mouth water and my stomach growl, but I knew to just shut it out and keep moving. I had no money to pay for it anyways. Besides, I could always swing back towards the end of the day when the baker threw out the unsold and less than whole scraps. It wasn't much, but food was food. The same train of thought continued as I passed the butcher a few fruit vendors, and even a teashop. I hummed pleasantly as I thought of the sweet gooey pastries when I smacked right into what felt like a wall with a resounding Oof!

Wait...walls don't go oof...

SxB

Damn what a bad day! It all started when I woke up almost a half hour past my alarm setting because apparently my roomies thought it would be hilarious, which it decidedly wasn't. This led me to be-surprise, surprise- LATE for my tryouts to be on the sled team, much to my chagrin. After burning off some steam via beating the hell out of my asshole roommates, I decided to have a nice lunch with my girlfriend, Jenna. Oh, but of course fate decided to be a bitch today, for I found the so-called love of my life being shagged by one of my-almost teammates. Needless to say I was furious, but more so because she was a total cunt about it, got in my face, and threw me out. Like _I_ was in the wrong! As I trudged through the snow contemplating how much ale should be ingested before the memories of this day fade I failed to notice what direction I was heading in. I let out a startled grunt as something, or rather someone, ran right into me, throwing me slightly off balance. Righting myself, I struggled between storming away and all out throttling the guy. What the hell is with people and annoying the shit out of me today!

"Hey dipshit, why don't you watch where the hell you're-" My words instantly died when I saw him. Judging from his frame the guy couldn't have been more than twenty-two years of age, but damn if he wasn't tiny! Small shoulders that seemed to be trembling under his oversized ratty sweater, long legs tucked in old jeans, and...no shoes? Why the hell was he barefoot in this weather? My eyes traced back up to his scarf which was wrapped around what I assumed to be a thin neck. His shaggy hair was an interesting shade of brown, sort of like oak bark in the winter, and his face was...scared-looking. I was a bit taken aback by this little fact. The guy looked genuinely afraid of me. So scared in fact that he hadn't moved from his spot on the ground where I had unwittingly landed him. His delicate brows were scrunched in what looked like concentration and his eyes were shut. As I took a step closer to him he visibly tensed. What's with this guy?

"...hey man, you need a hand?" I asked as gently as I could. He seemed to relax just a hint, but now his face morphed from fear to confusion. That's when he opened his eyes. I froze. They were the color of warm honey; a deep gold hue. Never in my life had I seen eyes like those.

"It's okay," I whispered as I slowly knelt closer to him, "I won't hurt you." It was the truth. Despite my earlier irritation I really couldn't see myself hurting him in any way. I offered a hand to help him up, but this only served to put a bit of the fear back in his eyes. I took special care not to move, letting him see I wasn't a threat. Jeez, it was like dealing with a scared squirrel!

He looked at my hand, then back to the ground, then around him as if looking for an escape. Finding none he apprehensively put his hand in mine. I inwardly sighed in relief as I pulled him to stand up. I was correct to assume he was small. Hell he was at least a full head shorter than me, if that! He kept his eyes downcast, choosing instead to focus on our hands, which were still joined. Speaking of which, how could his hand be so warm? He wore no gloves and just seconds ago it was buried in snow.

The sudden loss of the warm appendage startled me a bit, but before I could do something unspeakably stupid like ask for his hand back he tucked them into his pockets, refusing to meet my eyes. His posture reminded me of a trapped puppy, complete with averted ears and tucked tail...wait

SxB

Oh man, ohmanohmanohman I'm going to die. Or maybe I already did and this is a not-so-stereotypical version of Heaven. Yeah that must be it because there is no way that someone this gorgeous could be interacting with me otherwise. Running into him was scary, especially when he started yelling. As his deep voice began its harsh tirade I immediately braced myself for a blow that never came. He stopped yelling. Why is he so quiet all of a sudden? Is he still going to hit me? Oh God, he's getting closer!

"...hey man, you need a hand?"...okay I didn't expect a complete one-eighty personality switch. I slowly opened my eyes to see if what I was hearing was backed by honest intentions, and was dumbstruck. He was looking right at me, but he seemed to be more curious than mad. At least that's what I could tell from the slight furrowing of his dark brows and the contemplative set of his jaw. He had short jet black hair that was a bit windswept, but otherwise perfectly combed out of his face. His eyes were...wow. They were a crazy shade of blue; kind of like the sky when it first hits spring or a freshly thawed lake. They were strangely hypnotic, but at the same time frightening. Then he started speaking again. His voice was reassuring, but...damn there is really know way I can get away from this beautiful person without opening myself for attack. When I looked back to him, I noticed that his hand was outstretched. The black leather it was encased in looked soft and warm, and I honestly couldn't say no. Seriously, my voice wasn't working at the moment. He pulled me into a standing position with ease and I realized just how small I was compared to him. His build was that of an athlete; tall, broad-shouldered, prominent muscles, but not excessively bulky. I couldn't bring myself to look at his eyes again, but I knew they were still fixed on me. I swiftly removed my hand from his grasp in favor of my pockets.

No, I couldn't be dead. My heart was going way to fast and I was quite possibly the most scared I've been in a long time. In my anxiety I hadn't noticed that I had started to... show myself. My wolf-like ears, though flattened to my head, were in plain sight and I felt a clenching in my lower back as my previously hidden tail curled downward in fear. Oh shit, I had to run. I needed to get away now!

I looked up one last time at him, turned, and ran as fast as I could. Only later did it occur to me that he didn't look angry or disgusted. In fact he just looked...surprised.

I was still contemplating whether that was good or bad when the chilly night air hit me square in the face. In my musings I didn't realize how late it was! I considered going back into town to scrounge up some dinner, but I didn't want to risk running into him again. I let out a mournful sigh at the loss of a good pastry, but began humming to myself when I thought of possible game near my home. My legs were on autopilot as I gazed up at the starry sky. I had made it a pretty far distance from town and was approaching the sparse wooded area that gave way to the forest. I stopped humming as I climbed the jutting rock near the lake and sat, staring at the moon's brilliant reflection. I closed my eyes inhaling the scent of pine and the approaching spring, and for the first time that day, I smiled.


	2. Chance Meeting

**Disclaimer:** I failed to mention this in the first chaprter, but in case it wasn't obvious: I OWN NOTHING!

* * *

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. And when it comes to me, _nothing_ is understated. So I can safely say that I was SHOCKED OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND! See, that's not an understatement! However, my shock wasn't from seeing a guy randomly sprout ears and a tail. I mean, come on, I had just witnessed my gir-no wait-EX-girlfriend doing the nasty with some other guy! The reason I was so shocked, as well as the reason why I'm currently having what could very well be classified as a spazz-attack, was because of my immediate reaction towards seeing it.

As he turned tail (literally) to run, he gave me one last look over his shoulder. I was so lost in his honey colored orbs that it didn't even register that he was fading to a dot on the horizon. I wanted to run after him, to catch him, to look at those eyes again...what the hell was I thinking?! I was halfway to the outskirts of town before I caught myself, realizing my own impulsiveness. Why did I want to do _any_ of those things? I barely knew the guy. Hell, I didn't even know his name! But...I still can't help thinking that the way he looked at that moment; helpless, scared...it was actually kind of...cute...and extremely sad for some reason...

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

I was brought out of my musings by my painfully annoying alarm clock. I looked at the time and smirked. Seven on the dot. Those idiots must have learned their lesson. Still, considering it was a Saturday it was stupidly early. I sighed.

"Not like I'm going back to sleep" I grumbled. I looked out the window just in time to see a couple of birds fly by. Spring was about a week away, and it showed. Snow had stopped falling, the temperature was steadily spiking, plants were starting to grow and defrost. It was nice. Continuing to gaze out into the street, I saw the current bane of my existence, Jenna, slip in the newly melted snow and land flat on her ass in a mud puddle. I chuckled. Very nice indeed.

After getting dressed and grabbing a bagel on the way out, I proceeded toward the market plaza on the other side of town. It was always busy this time of year, but the free treats were so worth it. As I skirted past the bustling crowds, instinct drew me to a narrow alley that gave way to the outermost part of the plaza. I slowly made my way down the long passage, the noise of the plaza steadily growing fainter. That's when I heard it. I light hollow twittering noise. As I got closer, the twittering became a melody of high and low notes. Someone must be playing a flute or something, I thought. Curiosity got the better of me and I found myself moving faster towards the exit, the sweet tune guiding me.

Upon exiting the alley, I became aware of four things at once. One, there was a poor old man, slouched in an old beaten rocking chair and clapping merrily. Two, at his feet was a mat of some sort lain with intricately carved wooden flutes. Each one was different, and quite beautiful. Thirdly, there seemed to be five or so puppies, yapping away and running around a man. The fourth thing I noticed was the man himself. It was him! The guy I met the other day, was now right in front of me, filling the air with melodic tunes and dancing with puppies.

SxB

I don't know what brought me to town today. Fate...destiny...a certain tall blue-eyed noirette*... I shook my head to dislodge the thought and kept walking. I was out much earlier than I usually am for reasons I wasn't quite sure of. A growling sound had me tense, ready to run from a potential threat, but then I realized it was just my stomach. Oh yeah, that's why I'm up at this ungodly hour, I rolled my eyes at the thought. As it turned out, all the game nearby chose last night to stay in their dens and let me starve! So here I was, trudging through slush in my boots (there was no way I was going through this muck barefoot!) on a grand quest to find me a meal. Or perhaps a feast for the eyes...stop it! Bad Balto!

I looked at the plaza and immediately regretted my actions. There were crowds of people everywhere! The smell of food was everywhere, but at this rate I wouldn't get even a tiny scrap. A crestfallen sigh escaped my lips as I started to head back home, but stopped immediately when my ears picked up a peculiar sound. Said furry appendages twitched a bit, one turning to pick up the sound better. It was a cedar flute! I'd recognize that soft trilling sound anywhere. Without thinking, I followed the musical sound, my unhidden tail wagging with anticipation. I rounded a corner that lead away from the boisterous crowds and happened upon a backstreet. There were very little stalls back here and the few that stood were so far down that they could barely be seen. The music grew louder as I continued on, and after making a turn past what seemed to be an old shack, I found the source. There was an old man there, bundled thickly despite the warming weather and calmly swaying in his rocking chair. His knobby hands moved deftly across the delicate instrument despite their age, creating a low heart-breaking melody. When he had finished his song, I was nearly in tears. I couldn't help it! I gave him a soft applause and complimented his playing. That's when he looked up at me with unseeing eyes, and smiled.

"Many thanks, young man. I have been playing this old flute for years," he chuckled, "Ah, but she still sings sweet. Tell me, do you know a melody or two?" It was slightly unsettling that he remained looking (if you can call it that) in my direction as he spoke, but his voice was warm and kindly. I smiled back.

"I'm afraid I only know one song, sir. I also doubt I can play as well as you." My voice dropped a bit from the embarrassing confession, but the old man only laughed good naturedly.

"Bolder dash!" he exclaimed, "To know a song is to know a part of life! Life is life boy, no matter the quality or the quantity." With that he carefully placed his instrument in his lap and motioned to the ground with a sweep of his hand. My eyes locked on the impressive display of woodwinds, different sizes and shades, all remarkably made.

"Choose." he insisted. I scanned the many flutes with awe. I knew he made them, but how a blind man could manage such artistry...

"I couldn't," I whispered, "They are beautiful, but I have no money to pay for-" He held up his hand, silencing me. He smiled gently and shook his head.

"Choose, and play. Music is more than enough for a man who hears the world around him." I nodded my thanks, even though he didn't see it, and picked up a particularly simple flute. The wood was dark and extremely smooth, and was engraved with a design that reminded me of the river that ran near my home. I smiled as I brought the instrument to my lips and began to play.

The song was about the seasons. It started with winter, low and haunting. The notes continued in such a way before gradually increasing in pace and rising a few octaves. The melody shifted to an image of spring; it was light, rising and falling at a fast pace, kind of bouncy. I was so lost in the music that I almost missed the sight of a small pack of street pups trotting towards me. I could smell their wariness of the old man, but it eventually was replaced by curiosity. I chuckled through my nose as I played, causing one of the notes to trill a bit. The pups were fascinated by the sound and sat around me in a sloppy half circle, gazing at me with wide observant eyes. At this point I decided to allow my form to show through a bit more. My tail extended and swayed to the melody as my ears stayed perked and alert. I figured that since the old man couldn't see me it would be alright. My song continued into summer, the melody slowing just slightly, and keeping at a constant octave in order to paint a lazy image before exploding into feelings of elation. The puppies were on their feet again, this time running and bouncing around me happily. I too started to move about, weaving around them as we "danced" together.

The image would probably be considered silly or downright odd to some people, but I'm sure the old man would have been happy to see it. He was even clapping along to the tempo! As I twirled about I heard a soft noise akin to a chuckle. When I searched for the source my eyes caught a familiar flash of blue.

SxB

I smiled at the scene before me. I had no idea who this guy was, but damn if he didn't look adorable dancing about and playing his flute. The song itself was amazing! I couldn't get the picture of spring mornings and summer nights out of my head. I let loose a chuckle as the man spun around, one of the puppies mimicking the move in its own way. No sooner did the noise leave my lips did he lock eyes in my direction. He held my gaze a bit as his song slowed to a pause, but he didn't stop. Instead he sat down on a small bundle of lumber that happened to be close to the old man, the puppies following at his heels, and continued to play. At first I didn't know what to do. I contemplated just continuing to stand there until one of the puppies ran up to me. It was a small husky pup, white and black, with bright blue eyes. Its tail wagged playfully as it got behind me and nudged my legs, urging me forward. When I took a step it yapped and ran around me, herding me towards the mysterious man playing the flute.

As I got closer, the old man turned his head towards me and smiled, giving me a nod as a greeting. I nodded back, but then realized that he was blind. I discreetly shuffled a bit further from him and hesitantly sat in the other end of the lumber pile. The other man had his eyes closed, probably getting lost in the music. The puppies that surrounded us were enraptured. Their eyes never left his form and their tails wagged happily. I was slightly startled when I saw that his brown wolf tail was swaying along as well. This was my second time seeing him with the tail and ears, and though it was strange, it suited him. The tune had shifted to something slower, almost melancholy, but reminiscent of the previous melody. I figured it was to represent autumn.

When the song finally ended, the old man applauded heartily, exclaiming how positively splendid the song was. I couldn't agree more and found myself joining in the applause. Even the puppies were barking and bouncing with appreciation. The man himself gave a little bow muttering a thank you. He had a small shy smile on his face and seemed to be blushing a bit. It struck me just how cute this guy was. I smirked a bit before holding my hand out to him. He seemed taken aback by the action and looked at me with questioning eyes.

"My name is Steele. I didn't get a chance to introduce myself yesterday, so..." I smiled weakly, hoping he wouldn't bolt and leave me with an armful of awkward. He glanced at my hand, much like he did yesterday, and after carefully placing his flute somewhere in his sweatshirt he gently gripped it in a small shake.

"Balto," he stated. He then cleared his throat a bit before looking back at me, "Sorry for um...you know...running off. I was just, well...I was a bit..." he glanced around as if trying to look for a better word for "flat-out scared". I smirked a bit before replying.

"It's fine. At least now you don't look like your about burst from anxiety." He looked a bit affronted by that, but shocked me by actually bursting into laughter.

"Can you blame me?" he said through chuckles, gesturing animatedly at his ears and tail. I chuckled a bit, too. He had a valid point, but why would he be nervous about that. His appearance wasn't very uncommon around here. When I told him so, he gave a look that was a perfect combo of shocked, skeptical, and confused.

"W-what do you mean?" he asked. I stood up, slowly so as not to startle him, and allowed myself to shift. My sleek black ears stood at attention atop my head not failing to pick up Balto's small gasp of shock. My tail was next to appear also black with white on the underside and tip. For a minute Balto just sat there, speechless. Then he bounced up and began to circle me, the same look of absolute shock on his face.

"I...I can't believe...How is this possible?" he muttered to himself. The old man, whose presence I actually forgot was there for a moment, laughed lightly at the comment.

"Stranger things have occurred, my boy." He said to Balto. Gold irises locked on to my blue ones and my breath hitched. Then-be aware, I was completely unprepared for this-I found myself knocked slightly off-kilter by a very happy half-wolf. The guy must be stronger than he looks to have achieved that, I mused. His arms were wrapped around my torso and his face was nuzzling my chest. Under normal circumstances, I would have shoved him away or perhaps hit him with a very colorful onslaught of words, but considering this circumstance was anything but normal I did neither of these. Instead I opted to wrap my arms around the much smaller male, noting how comfortably he fit there.

"Ahem, um, Balto...I know we just met and I am awesome to the point of hug-worthy, but..._why_ are you doing it?" And why was I just _letting_ him do it?! He pulled back a bit, just enough to look me in the eye, and gave me the most gentle heart-wrenching smile.

"I'm doing this because I'm happy," he stated softly, "Now, I'm no longer alone." Jeez, how can I argue with that?! I simply smiled back and gently pried his arms loose.

"No you're not Balto. From now on, you have a friend." I squeezed his hand reassuringly before continuing, "But um...let's keep that sort of physical contact to a minimum, okay?" He tilted his head a bit before chuckling.

"Sure, not a problem." The happy mood was suddenly interrupted by a loud growling sound. I turned an accusatory gaze at the puppies, thinking one of them had decided against being friendly. Then I saw Balto clutch tightly at his stomach. Oh, okay that makes more sense.

"How 'bout I treat you to some food?" I asked. He looked at me wide-eyed, as if I had just offered that we eat the old man and have one of the puppies for dessert.

"No! I mean, I couldn't ask that of you. We just met and besides it's not that big a deal, I'll find something-" I cut him off by shoving the other half of my bagel in his mouth. He looked dazed before slowly raising his hand to the bread pulling off a chunk with his teeth. His eyes fluttered close as he let out a deep satisfied moan. Dear God, when was the last time he ate?! After swallowing that bit he looked at me with a smile. His eyes shone with gratitude, and he looked like he may hug me again. However, he seemed to think better of it and ran off with a "Thank you!" shouted over his shoulder. I watched him for a bit before heading off to grab lunch. It was pretty late in the afternoon by the time introductions had been made, but in my opinion it was worth it. As I turned down the alley that led me here, I failed to notice the puppies' eyes following intently me before they dispersed. I also missed the knowing smile that spread across the blind old man's face.

"Yes," he whispered, "Stranger things have happened." When I turned around to see if I heard him right, the old man had disappeared along with his flutes. The only thing that remained was the old rocking chair.

* * *

*Yes, that was a Tangled reference XD

Balto: um...p-please review *puppy eyes*


	3. Make a Date!

Spring has finally arrived. Hard packed earth and fresh grass have replaced slush and mud, heavy coats and lined boots are traded in favor of thinner, lighter attire, and what was once an awkward meeting of two strangers is now an easy friendship. During the recent weeks, Balto had been venturing in to town more to visit a certain sexy blue-eyed musher. That would be me. Although our meetings mostly consisted of not-so-coincidentally running into each other in the back alleys of the plaza or on the outskirts of town, they were nice. However, I still barely knew anything about the guy! I learned that he lived alone close to the woods, and he seemed to favor running around barefoot most of the time, but other than that...

"So, Balto..." I started as we walked leisurely by the street of abandoned run-down shacks. We chose to show ourselves when we meet up to ease the awkwardness that came with hiding, mostly on Balto's part. I still couldn't believe that he wasn't comfortable here after seeing people walking around, tails and all! He looked up at me with those stunning eyes, waiting for me to continue. Did I mention his eyes were gorgeous? 'Cause they are. Seriously.

"What are your plans for the Spring Festival?" Balto seemed a bit surprised by my question. He walked a bit slower as he thought, his head tilted ever so slightly to the side, and the barest hint of something I couldn't quite recognize clouding his gaze.

"I...don't have any." he replied softly. I slowed to a stop when I heard his answer.

"You...don't?" I questioned.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." he sighed

"I mean, sure you don't come around here too often," I stated cautiously, "But surely you-"

"Look, I said I don't have any plans, alright! So drop it!" Such a harsh retort was definitely not what I was expecting from the usually soft-spoken male. I was so shocked by his outburst that I barely had time to move and block his way before he stormed off.

"Easy Balto I just wanted to ask you, since you had nothing else planned, if you wanted to go with me?" He blinked once, twice, three times before letting out a long almost exasperated sigh.

"Steele, I can't go. I...have things to take care of." I raised a brow at this before settling my face into the hard, I'm-calling-you-out-on-your-bullshit scowl I was known for.

"What happened to 'I don't have any plans'?"

"It's complicated," he mumbled. As he averted his eyes, I felt as if I were looking at the most vulnerable part of him at that moment. I took a calming breath before continuing.

"Either you have plans, or you don't. Seems like a pretty non-complicated answer to me."

"It's not that simple, Steele." Judging by the swishing of his tail and the clipped tones in his voice, his agitation was rising again. Dammit, this guy is so confusing!

"How the hell is it not?!"

"Drop it, Steele." he said in a warning tone.

"No. I want to know why you can't just give me a straightforward answer without contradicting what you already said!"

"WHY DO YOU CARE?!" he screamed.

"...I don't know...I just am!"

SxB

"I don't know...I just am!" Well damn if that wasn't the most brilliant thing he could have come back with. Still, have to give him points for honesty. I sighed as I did my best to calm myself down. I didn't want to fight with him, really. There was no way I could tell him the truth about why accompanying him to the festival was a bad idea. Hell, being near him _any_ time during the spring was a bad idea. I often retreat deep into the woods during this time of the year for two reasons. One, being alone helps a bit, and two (which is why one exists) is because that's my heat time. Yeah, that's right. I go into heat every spring, and I personally consider it as nothing more than a cruel joke. What's the point of my body preparing itself for being with someone when no one wants me?

I looked back to Steele to find that he looked more than a little annoyed. He had a deep almost menacing scowl on his face, his mouth was set in a line, and his eyes seemed to be looking right through me. It sent a shiver through my spine, but it wasn't due to fear. The man was hot when he was glaring into the depths of your soul...wait that came out weird.

"Balto," I was snapped out of my thoughts by the surprisingly gentle tone of his voice, "Look, I get it if you have...some kind of issue with being around people. Still, we are friends, and friends don't let friends be loners." I had to smile at his attempt to lighten the stifling situation.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you," I offered softly, "But you're right. Being around a large crowd of people would be...problematic for me." By the look on his face I could tell that he was about to restart his interrogation, but I headed him off at the pass. "However, if you wish to spend time with me and not let me be a 'loner' I think I can make that happen." Not a total lie, but there was no reason to tell him the whole truth. The guy already looked happier, even a bit relieved.

"That's cool. When should we hang?" I tilted my head a bit as I thought up a time. In all honesty, any time should be okay as long as it was brief...and not to physical...and not at night.

"How does three days from today sound? We can meet at the edge of town."

"And head where exactly?" he asked with a smirk.

"We can work it out as we go along." I said with a small grin. He let out a brief snort before nodding his assent. We parted ways shortly after setting up a meeting point, and as I walked home I could only hope that nothing went wrong.


	4. Dance in the Dark part 1

**Okay, because this seemes to be the unspoken trend with me and these uploads, i will be updating once a month...maybe more if fate permits. Keep in mind this is a two-part song/fic/chapter thing. ENJOY!**

**I own nothing. If i did, there would be many, many, _many _emotionally scarred children.**

* * *

Three days. That's how long I've had to wait. Seventy-two hours. That's how long I've stayed awake thinking about him. Two-hundred and seventeen. That's how many times I had to physically restrain myself from running to him like a horny slut, begging him to...

I cursed loudly as I buried my head in my hands. It was so frustrating! Never before had I had this many problems with my heat. It's gotten to the point where I'm losing sleep, and my appetite is rapidly declining. I don't understand. Why does it hurt so damn much?! A little voice inside my head kept saying, _It's because now you have someone to direct your hormones toward; someone you desire._ However another voice would interrupt by saying, _Don't be a fool! Giving in to your instincts will only lead to disaster! _I shook my head trying to dislodge the disturbing voices. Spirits, if I could I would strangle those thoughts. They've been giving me a headache! Wait, those are my thoughts...oh great I've moved to the delusional stage...is there a delusional stage when it comes to repressed heat?

I let out an undignified whimper as I became more and more frustrated. How was I ever going to face Steele like this? I couldn't simply back out of it...well I could, but I didn't want to. I sighed as I rolled onto my back, facing the sky openly. Since spring came and all the snow was gone, the grass near my home forest grew tall and lush. I often laid there in the small clearing between the trees to pass the time, especially during afternoons like this. It was peaceful, calming...but not today.

After sighing for the umpteenth time that day, I sat up and trudged my way through the undergrowth heading home. Steele would be expecting me shortly since we decided to meet up around this time on the edge of town by the old rocking chair. Yes, we still went by there every now and then on our walk-n-talk escapades, but the old man was never there. I wonder where he went...

As I neared my boat, I caught a whiff of something...foreign. I went into a defensive crouch, moving forward on all fours completely silent. When I looked over to my boat I saw them. They were some kids that usually play around the plaza. Strange, usually the townsfolk don't let their kids venture out this far, open wilderness and all. However, these kids were here, giggling merrily, and pretending to be pirates. It was actually a bit cute, annoying and unwarranted, but cute. I sat down so I was in a more comfortable position, but still able to watch them. I didn't want them to see me. No one in the town aside from Steele, the mysterious old man, and a few puppies knew that I even existed. Plus, children had big mouths, and if word got out that there was a wolf nearby...I shuddered.

I waited them out a bit longer, praying that they would scamper off to their respective homes. The sun was starting its downward decline, and I could only imagine how Steele was feeling right about now.

SxB

Pissed. Annoyed, a bit hurt, and slightly worried, but mostly pissed. My black and white tail swished back and forth in agitation as I waited for a certain brunette to arrive. It's not that Balto was late, we didn't set up a specific time, but we did agree on the time of day. The afternoon was slowly starting to bleed into evening and the wolf still hadn't made an appearance. I sighed and ran a hand through my jet black locks.

"Okay, Steele, just take a deep breath," I muttered to myself, "He's on his way. He probably just got held up by...a butterfly. Yeah, that's it. Balto lost track of time chasing a butterfly." I smiled softly at the image of Balto running about barefoot, wide-eyed and smiling cutely, while trying in vain to catch one of the winged insects. I wonder, if he smiled like that, what it would look like...

"What's with the goofy grin?" I jumped when the soft voice spoke right next to my ear. I whirled around to see Balto standing there clad in black frayed jeans and a long sleeved dark green shirt, one eyebrow raised in question, and a small smirk of amusement on his face. I cleared my throat and willed the small embarrassed blush starting to form to go away.

"I'll be asking the questions around here." I replied haughtily before gently adding, "Where were you, it's starting to get late." Balto looked up at the sky as if noticing it for the first time, then looked back to me with an apologetic gleam in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Steele. It's just...well there were these kids, and well I...I didn't want them to see me, so I hid and waited for them to leave. Why they were all the way out there I'll never know, but they were playing near my home so...sorry it took so long. By the time they left I knew it was getting late, so I decided to rush straight here...then I thought better of it and decided to change clothes first because I had been lying in the grass all day. I didn't mean to keep you waiting, I'm really sorry!" That entire speech was said with him looking down at his feet which he kept shuffling in the most adorable way.

I reached up and lightly put my hand on his head in a reassuring gesture.

"It's okay Balto. No need to apologize about something like that. Shit happens." I looked at him and smiled a bit, "Besides you're here, right? And I am happy about that." It took me a moment to realize that Balto wasn't listening to me. He would have acknowledged my statement in some way shape or form by now if he was. That's when I really looked at him and froze. Unconsciously, my hand had been slowly stroking Balto's head, occasionally brushing his furry ears. That came as a bit of a shock because I don't remember my hand growing a mind of its own in the past few seconds. But the reason I had stilled all movement was because of _him_. Balto was slightly leaning in to my touch, honey eyes glazed and half-lidded, cheeks the faintest bit flushed. When he peeked up at me through long dark lashes, it hit me. He looked, to put it mildly, hot. Like _really_ fucking hot! There I said it. Granted he's a friend...a male friend...a male friend that I hardly know...but he also happens to be the cutest, most awkward, and now hottest (besides me) man alive.

SxB

I lost track of whatever Steele was saying as soon as his hand made contact with my head. My first reaction to his touch was fear. I mean he did seem pretty agitated before. However, I slowly started to relax when said hand began to move in slow soothing strokes. He was petting me! This action was so foreign to me that I couldn't even bring myself to protest. After a couple of seconds, the sensations generating from his fingertips running through my hair started to feel...good. It already felt nice, but these sensations were starting to become more and more orgasmic. When he touched my ears I almost lost it. I had to bite down on my lip to stifle the moan rising in my throat. This wasn't good. He needed to stop. I didn't want him to, Spirits no! But it had to be done. Luckily, Steele chose that moment to catch himself in his actions and halt. I looked up at him, prepared to apologize for the awkwardness of the moment, only to be met with his heated blue gaze.

"Um..." I started then lightly cleared my throat, "Perhaps we should get going. We're burning daylight." I emphasized my point by adamantly looking towards the sky then towards the road. Steele shook himself slightly and shrugged, turning and leading the way to who knows where.

After walking for about half a mile, and getting further away from the town and my home with each step, I started to get uneasy.

"Uh, Steele?"

"Yeah?" he drawled.

"Where are you taking me?" He chuckled.

"You'll see soon enough." I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and saw him smiling. I would later realize that at that moment, with the golden light of the afternoon hitting his face and his eyes catching the light, he looked absolutely gorgeous. That, and the way that his dark wash jeans, black muscle shirt and leather jacket fit every inch of him made the image that much more appealing. But at the moment his grin put me on edge. Was this it? Was this the moment when he would turn on me, beat me, and tell me he's not my friend. Wait, there are no people around. Oh Moon and Sky, is he going to kill me?!

I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. Steele wouldn't do that. He's my friend. He accepts me. Besides I doubt I would be so cough_insanely_cough_extremely_coughs_hamelessly_cough attracted to someone who wanted to harm me to that extent...

"Don't be so tense, Balto." whispered a low calming voice. I didn't even notice when Steele began walking close to me, let alone to the point where we were shoulder to shoulder. "You can trust me you know."

Warmth. An instant wave of warmth bloomed in my chest at those words. _You can trust him_. Though I didn't show it, on the inside I was elated at this realization.

SxB

By the time we arrived to our destination, Balto had visibly relaxed. I don't know why he seemed so on edge earlier, or what compelled me to say those words, but I'm glad I said them. After all, they were true.

I sharp intake of breath and the halting of footsteps had me turning to face my companion.

"Wh-what is this place?" Balto asked in bewilderment.

"This is the Spring Festival." I announced. My smile only widened as his luminous eyes took in everything. The festival takes place on the east side of town in a large cleared out lot, and is a rather gaudy affair. There are bright lights, music and food everywhere, even designated club areas where people could dance. It was huge, and probably a tad bit overwhelming for first-timers. Judging from the look of absolute rapture and shock on Balto's face, I couldn't be more accurate. He was like a kid at Christmas!

Luckily there was still some daylight to burn by the time we got there. Checking my watch, I saw it was barely 4:30.

"So Balto, what do you want to do first?" He snapped his gaze to me, then back to the looming festival, then back to me, then back to the festival again.

"I...I suppose we should get some food first...maybe?" He glanced nervously at me for confirmation and I just about melted. He had the most shy, pleading expression on his face I had ever seen! _Oh God, if he ever uses that face on me again, I'm screwed. Wait, what am I thinking?! _I nodded assent and we cruised over to the nearest food station.

"Hello, gentlemen!" greeted the vendor, "How can I help ya?"

"I'll take a couple of steak kabobs, and...Balto what would you like?" no response, "Balto?" I turned and saw that his attention was once again fixated on something else. He had his hands and the tip of his nose pressed to the display case holding the pastries, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

"Um...is your friend okay?" asked the vendor (His name is Tuck by the way). He seemed a bit concerned by the look of pained longing on Balto's face.

"Oh he's okay. Just a bit...overwhelmed." I chuckled good-naturedly, but Balto was starting to weird me out. Just a tad. Had he never eaten a pastry before? Wait...penniless loner who lives on the outskirts of town. _Right_.

"Can I also get one of those?" I pointed to the hot gooey fruit tart that seemed to have absorbed all of Balto's focus. Tuck noticed my choice and the reason behind it, and smiled.

"Sure thing buddy." As he served up my order I noticed with slight amusement that Balto's eyes followed wherever the pastry went. His eyes followed it intently when it was removed from the display, he turned his head to follow it as it was wrapped on the other side of the stand, then he straightened up just a slight when it was handed over to my waiting hand. After we moved to one of the designated eating areas I had Balto take the seat across from mine. His ears, which he had revealed in his earlier excitement, had averted down just a slight, but perked right back up again when the pastry was within close proximity to his face.

"Here, it's for you. You seemed like you really wanted it so..." He straightened up completely and slowly, almost carefully took the desert from my outstretched hand.

"Really?" he asked softly, "Are you sure?" I snorted a bit.

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have bought it." I smiled encouragingly, "Just eat it." He looked from the treat in his hand to me, then to tuck, then me, then the pastry again. He seemed to make up his mind, and after a delicate shrug of his shoulders he took a bite.

SxB

Oh. Man. After I took the first bite I felt like I was propelled into the Heavens. It was so good! I knew it was strawberry the moment the scent hit my nose, but when I tasted it plus the subtle taste of chocolate and cinnamon I just about cried out of pure bliss. I sank my teeth into the delicacy again and moaned just the tiniest bit at the deliciousness. My eyes fluttered close as the flavors danced around my mouth. Before I knew it I was tearing in to the tart, not wasting a single crumb. I even went so far as to lovingly lick the jelly that had spilled onto my fingers. Within nano-seconds, the delight was gone and in my belly.

I looked up at Steele's slightly reddened face, licking the last bits of the pastry from my lips with one question.

"More?"

SxB

I'm pretty sure that what I just witnessed could be classified as food porn.

SxB

After a couple more hours of eating a variety of foods and playing games (I lost a good chunk of them, but they were still fun) I looked up at the sky and cringed. The sun had almost completely set and the moon was making itself visible in the sky. During my time with Steele, aside from the whole petting thing, I hadn't experienced any...unmentionable feelings. However with the night fast approaching, that streak of good fortune was about to come to an end.

* * *

**Or will it? Find out in the next installment ^ ^**


End file.
